Afghanistan's Supreme Court has ruled that the police officer convicted of murdering Associated Press photographer Anja Niedringhaus and wounding AP correspondent Kathy Gannon almost one year ago should serve 20 years in prison.

The ruling against former Afghan police unit commander Naqibullah was revealed in documents sent to Afghanistan’s attorney general on March 28.

The final sentence was reduced from the death penalty that had been recommended in 2014 by a trial court.

Twenty years in prison is the maximum jail sentence in Afghanistan.

Naqibullah, who uses only one name, opened fire on Niedringhaus and Gannon without warning on April 4, 2014 as the two were covering the first round of Afghanistan’s presidential election outside the southeastern city of Khost.

Niedringhaus was killed instantly.

Gannon, a senior AP correspondent with decades of experience in Pakistan and Afghanistan, was hit by six bullets.